US president Barack Obama could announce a deal – the largest multi-state agreement since the 1998 tobacco settlement – in Tuesday’s state of the union address The US’s five largest mortgage lenders are close to signing off on a massive settlement over deceptive foreclosure practices that drove people out of their homes, according to government officials. The price of the settlement has been estimated at between $19bn (£12.2bn) and $25bn and would be the largest multi-state agreement since 1998′s deal with the tobacco companies